election night pumpkin bread pudding…

What better way to watch the election returns than with a nice warm comforting nubbin’ of pumpkin bread pudding and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream?

… how about with a shot of Pedro Ximenes?

It was the perfect autumn pairing. The bread pudding, made from hearty egg bread, is studded with sultanas and topped with toasted bits of crunchy walnuts. The cinnamon ice cream adds the perfect cold contrast and compliments the pumpkin spicy pudding. The Pedro Ximenes, with its deep caramel-y and figgy golden complexity really paired exquisitely. Continue reading for the recipe…

Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk half-and-half, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, cinnamon, vanilla extract and eggs in a large bowl. Fold in bread cubes to coat and fold in golden raisins.

Transfer to baking dish (11×7-inch) and let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Bake the bread pudding for 35 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the bread pudding and return to oven for another 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.

The original epicurious.com recipe also has a caramel sauce. But, I opted out for home-made cinnamon ice cream instead.